Design Risk Score
Estimated4/100
1 mechanic flagged
Why this score
- Social Pressure+4
Competitive seasons and social mechanics run on a shared schedule.
Why this counts
Social obligation mechanics exploit in-group loyalty and interpersonal accountability. They transform a personal leisure choice into a social commitment, making it harder to take natural breaks.
- Social-commitment & in-group loyalty research (Cialdini, commitment/consistency)
- Studies on guild/clan obligation and play-time pressure
Points reflect severity, not just presence — cosmetic-only purchases score far lower than pay-for-power. Total: 4/100. This game was scored from its Steam store listing, so its mechanics are an estimate. How scoring works →
Joy Index
87/100
Excellent
Community score: 87/100
Joy is the share of players who recommend it on Steam, published as-is.
Verdict
Healthy
This game respects your time and wallet
Clean monetization, strong community satisfaction, and genuine gameplay depth make this a safe pick.
- Play freely
- Worth recommending to others
Where to buy
Price & availability
Best price now
$8.49−15%
at GreenManGaming→
Lowest ever
$1.99
at Steam · 12/22/2015
Real recorded prices & subscription data via IsThereAnyDeal.
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Quake Live: your questions, answered
Estimated from store data- Is Quake Live pay to win?
- No. Quake Live's real-money purchases don't sell gameplay power — Sifter found no pay-to-win mechanics.
- Does Quake Live have loot boxes or gacha?
- No. Sifter found no loot boxes or gacha in Quake Live — no paid randomised rewards.
- Does Quake Live have microtransactions?
- No. Quake Live is a buy-once game — Sifter found no microtransactions, battle pass, or in-game store.
- How aggressively is Quake Live monetised?
- Sifter grades Quake Live A — 4/100 on the Design Risk scale, where a higher number means more aggressive monetisation. 1 mechanic was flagged. The grade is computed from a public checklist, not opinion.
- Does Quake Live respect your time?
- Quake Live scores 85/100 on Sifter's Time Respect scale — no energy system, daily-login streaks, or limited-time events designed to pull you back.
Mods
Upload a mod →Detected Design Patterns
Team, guild, or ranked mechanics tie your progress to other players' schedules.
Players report
Community-reported mechanics from players who own Quake Live. Shown separately — this never changes Quake Live’s Design Risk grade.
Own this game? Connect your Steam library to report a mechanic Sifter missed.
Time Respect
Estimated- Social Pressure-15
Competitive or social mechanics create obligation to keep pace with others.
Ownership
This game is yours to keep
- Plays offline — no server dependency, so it can't be switched off remotely.
- Sold through Steam; a Steam account is required to install it. Steam doesn't publish whether this title is otherwise DRM-free, so we can't confirm it runs standalone.
Whether you keep what you paid for is its own question, separate from the score. How Sifter measures games →
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